Letters To The Editor

September 29, 1995

NAME MEANS LITTLE

Reference the Sept. 18 editorial "Keep `Newport News' '':

First and foremost, Tenneco owns the shipyard. I believe it is to their discretion of giving it any name they choose. The people in this locality, especially the shipyard workers, would benefit more from better working conditions. Also, retirement should be a priority instead of a name. It is a disgrace that an individual can work at the shipyard for 45 years and receive a retirement of $312 a month. I call it legalized slavery.

The editorial stated, ``Anyone involved in shipbuilding or with government ties to it knows that Newport News Shipbuilding is owned by Tenneco.'' Has anyone considered that the editor insulted Tenneco's intelligence by making such a statement? It should be reasonable to assume a company with their stature already has this knowledge.

Evidently people thought Reagan and Bush were going to be in the White House forever. The shipyard could have sought private contracts instead of all Navy work. More to the point, none of this money was passed along to the common worker.

Now the shipyard's administration is hiring private contractors and is gradually trying to phase out the traditional worker. Also the workers were insulted by the open house. This was only a political stunt along with a press-maker. To individuals or groups like Congressman Herb Bateman, the Daily Press and anyone else concerned, it is this writer's sincere desire that the "Newport News Shipyard'' gates somehow close forever.

Spurgeon W. Godwin Jr.

Hampton

A TAX BREAK?

In my suspicious mind is a wonderment if the Shipyard name change is a creative accounting gimmick.

Could it be that the result of this change will be a multimillion-dollar entry in the Intangibles and Good Will column, to be depreciated over the next 40 years for a tax deduction?

Ask your CFO about this.

J.B. Lankes

Hampton

THANKS EXTENDED

On behalf of the Board of Supervisors of King and Queen County, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to every individual and organization who answered the call for help resulting from the tragic airplane accident of Sept. 10.

I would like to specifically thank all members of the Lower King and Queen Volunteer Fire Department, West Point Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Central King and Queen Volunteer Fire Department, New Kent Fire Department and American Red Cross. I would also like to recognize the efforts of people in the community at large who helped the family of all the victims of the terrible crash.

Every citizen of King and Queen is fortunate to have such a dedicated group of people in our community who are willing to sacrifice to assist people in need. I say thank you, and I pray that God will bless and protect you as you continue to help people in need.

Mark G. Drexler

Chairman, Board of Supervisors

King and Queen County

PROTECT WILDERNESS

The ``Land Grab'' article in the Sept. 24 Daily Press has hopefully opened people's eyes to the peril that the nation's wilderness areas are in from legislation that would pass control of 270 million acres of federal land from the Bureau of Land Management to the states. The most incredible part of this is that it would be done in spite of the vast majority of Americans who feel that these wilderness areas should be protected and remain for the enjoyment of everyone.

A good example is legislation coming from the congressional delegation from Utah. There, in spite of overwhelming support for wilderness protection by its citizens, bills (S.884/H.R. 1745) are being pushed by Utah congressmen that would open 20.2 million of the 22 million Bureau of Land Management acres in Utah to mining, drilling and logging.

Everyone needs to realize that this and other Bureau of Land Management land taken in this ``land grab'' would be lost forever to the whims of the state legislatures and the money and power of business interests all for the sake of improving the political and financial standing of certain members of Congress who are supposed to represent the wishes of the majority. They certainly do deserve our scorn.

Donald Keller

Yorktown

LABELS DON'T MATTER

The 1996 elections are only a year away. The current two-party system, voter dissatisfaction with elected and appointed leaders, job displacement and a host of other social ills will be the main focus in the months to come. There will be leaders who will promise the world and deliver nothing, there will be leaders who will try to make a change, but fail miserably, and there will be a small percentage who will deliver what was promised.

The real question is: Are we prepared to continue to make the mistakes of the past and place people in office whose main goal is self-advancement and the whims of special interest?

A few years ago there was an attempt at changing the two-party system and adding a third party. This small step attracted many people from all viewpoints.

Liberals, moderates and conservatives banded together to form a major third political party. This ideal was born that people wanted a fundamental change in how government is run. That ideal has not died. Both political parties have given only lip service to real and fundamental change and resort to name calling and placing the blame on each other for their political failing.

We need to get away from the name calling and the labeling and simply fix that which is wrong or does not work. People we elect to office, be it at the local, state or federal levels, must perform to the highest expectation levels, and as with any employee, they must be accountable for their actions.